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Entomology and Plant Pathology I

Course developer

Course abstract

Students understand the concept “plant diseases” and learn about the causes and causal agents of diseases (fungi, viruses, bacteria). Students comprehend the regularities of disease development and their harmfulness. Students acquire knowledge about disease control methods.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students understand the reasons for plant diseases and know the classification of diseases.
Students know the basic principles of the systematics of plant diseases’ causal agents (Fungi, Chromista, Protozoa, Virus, Monera) and their biological peculiarities, as well as the most important diseases caused by these pathogens – 1st, 2nd and 3rd test.
Students comprehend the concept of resistance, understand the peculiarities of disease development and know the methods of disease assessment and diagnostics. Students know the methods of plant disease control and have acquired the principles of fungicide application – 4th test.
Students are able to integrate the knowledge about disease life cycles with the factors promoting their development and with the possibilities of disease control – test with grade.

Course Content(Calendar)

Kursa plāns/saturs (ja nepieciešams, norāda apjomu stundās)
1. The concept of plant diseases and their causal agents. Classification of diseases. Parasitism and its types.
2. Plant diseases caused by fungi. The composition and reproduction of fungi. Systematics of fungi. Anamorph, teleomorph and holomorph.
3. Fungi from the phylum Ascomycota as important plant pathogens. The composition and reproduction of Ascomycota.
4. Fungi from the phylum Basidiomycota as important plant pathogens. The composition and reproduction of Basidiomycota, their systematics. Importance of the subphylum Agaricomycotina in nature.
5. Kingdoms Chromista and Protozoa. Composition, reproduction, and importance in nature. Most important diseases caused by these microorganisms. Diseases caused by the order Peronosporales.
6. Kingdoms Monera and Virus. Composition, reproduction, and importance in nature. Most important diseases caused by these microorganisms.
7. The concepts “resistance” and “tolerance”.
8. Life cycles of diseases; factors that influence the development of epidemics. Methods of disease assessment and diagnostics.
9. Methods of plant disease control. Most important groups of fungicides.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Test with grade. Grade is the average form four tests.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Preparing for tests.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The base mark of tests is 8. A student may earn this mark if his/her knowledge corresponds to the amount of information acquired during lessons. If answers to the questions are incomplete, the mark is decreased. A student may earn a higher mark (9 or 10) by demonstrating deeper knowledge obtained from independently studied scientific literature.

Compulsory reading

1. Bankina B., Bimšteine G., Kaņeps J. (2021) General Plant Pathology: exercises. Jelgava: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies – 34 p. https://llufb.llu.lv/LLU-studiju-materiali/LF/General_plant_pathology_LLU_2021.pdf

Further reading

Fungal Plant Pathogens. Ed. by C.R. Lane, P.A. Beales, K.J.D. Hugges. CABI, 2012. 307 p.
Schumann G.L. Plant diseases: Their Biology and Social Impact. APPS PRESS, 2003. 397 p.

Notes

Bachelor study programme “Sustainable forestry”, 3rd semester, in full-time studies